This invention relates to a ball toy, and more particularly to one having a plurality of optical fibers disposed in an array adjacent the periphery within a translucent shell, the ball including a light source transmitting light to the fibers preferably through a color chamber which changes the colors transmitted to the optical fibers as the ball is moved.
A number of amusement balls are disclosed in the prior art which illuminate. For example, Bodell U.S. Pat. No. 2,903,820, Maleykl U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,054,778 and 5,228,686, Smiel, et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,888,156 and Hsieh U.S. Pat. No. 5,779,575 disclose illuminated balls with batteries, LED lights and switches for operation so that illumination may occur upon the occurrence of either rolling or some other type of vibration, or may merely be turned on manually. In none of these, however, do the colors that are transmitted change as the ball moves. Additionally, none of these balls transmit light to the surface of the ball via optical fibers.
In Kachel U.S. Pat. No. 5,029,047, there is disclosed an infant crib mobile which transmits light from a source to a plurality of display objects which revolve, the light being made colorful by means of a slide with color segments disposed so that as the mobile revolves, the color of the light emitted to the optic fibers may change.
In Osborn et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,277,644, there is disclosed a doll having an ornament at the waist which may be rotated to move a filter from side to side selectively to change the color of light at the ends of optic fibers, a lamp shining through the filter conveying light to the ends of the fibers. The filter has three color portions so that as the ornament is rotated manually, the color of light transmitted to the fiber optic elements varies.
Post U.S. Pat. No. 5,727,577 shows an optical ornament which may be attached to clothing or to the body of a person to convey a fixed array of color light through optic fibers. Smith et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,387,146 shows a ferris wheel which is used as a crib toy having optical fibers between the circumference of a rotatable disk and a light source, the light filter having sectors of various colors is located between the fibers and the light source.
Accordingly, there are a substantial number of toys or novelty items in the prior art which endeavor to provide an attractive changeable lighting effect. However, none of the known prior art provides an arrangement wherein light may be transmitted from a source to the periphery of a ball by the use of fiber optics and especially to provide color variations as the ball is moved by rotating or the like.
Consequently, it is a primary object of the present invention to provide a toy ball having fiber optics which may be illuminated to provide an amusement device.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a child""s toy in the form of a sphere having an internal light source and optical fibers which receive and transmit light from the source toward the periphery of the sphere to light up the surface.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a toy in the form of a ball, the interior of the ball having a light source and fiber optics which extend adjacent the source toward the periphery of the ball, and having a color chamber intermediate the light source and the optical fibers through which the light is transmitted so that the surface of the ball is lighted with different colors.
It is a still further object of the present invention to provide a toy in the form of a ball having an outer translucent shell, the ball having a plurality of optical fibers disposed in an array adjacent the interior of the shell surface, the ball including a light source transmitting light to the fibers through a color chamber which changes the colors transmitted to the optical fibers as the ball moves.
Accordingly, the present invention comprises a toy in the form of a ball within which there is a light source and a plurality of optical fibers receiving the light and disposed so that as the ball moves light may be seen on the surface of the ball. Preferably there is a translucent outer shell through which the colors are seen at the surface. Disposed between the light source and on end of the optical fibers is a color chamber which has different color elements which move when the ball moves so as to vary the colors received by the fibers thereby effecting variation in color passing through the fibers and therefore the colors seen on the surface of the translucent shell. Thus, as the ball rolls light seen on the surface of the translucent shell fluctuate in a variable array of colors.
The translucent shell is the outer shell of a two shell spherical ball with the light source, a fiber optic manifold or retention element and the color chamber located within the inner shell, the fibers extending out of the inner shell to the space between the shells.
The shells are each formed as a hemisphere and the inner hemispherical shells each have a bulkhead or wall that extends across the open end or equator of each hemisphere for supporting the various components thereon. The bulkheads are removably connected together and extend beyond the inner shell hemispheres and may be locked between annular ledges on the interior of the outer hemispherical shells. A motion switch and/or master switch switching components to turn the system on and off may be carried by a bulkhead. If there is a master switch it may be controlled by turning one of the hemispherical shells relatively to the other. A timer may deactivate the circuits if the ball is not moved after a given period of time. Moreover, fastener members for connecting one set of hemispheres to the other may be carried by a bulkhead and be accessible from the exterior of the shells to connect the shells together and to separate the shells apart.